Now it's donkeys: "Donkey meat is found" at two firms at the centre of horse meat scandal probe

Charities in disbelief as it is claimed that abandoned pets are sold to abattoirs before ending up on dinner tables

Lovable: But donkey meat has been found at raided firms (Photo: Getty)

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Donkey meat was allegedly found at two UK firms raided last week as part of the horse meat probe.

Donkey DNA was found at the two sites, along with samples of donkey and horse meat, sources close to the investigation have claimed.

Officials seized dozens of polythene bags containing a mixture of beef, horse and donkey meat, believed to be destined for export overseas.

The samples are being analysed at a Government-run lab near York as part of the on-going Food Standards Agency probe into the ­illegal supply of contaminated beef.

A Donkey Sanctuary charity spokesman called the claims “shocking”.

The slaughter and trade of donkeys is not illegal – but the allegations raised fears the meat could have found its way into British shops.

Worries: Families are not sure what meat they are eating (Photo: Getty)

One animal welfare expert said: “This is a really murky trade and it’s been going on for some time.”

Live donkeys are believed to be shipped from Ireland, where the economic crisis saw a number of the animals abandoned after the preceding boom fuelled an increase in their popularity as family pets.

Animal charities say the animals are taken to horse markets here but sold to slaughterhouses if they fail to fetch a good price.

They believe donkey ­carcasses are sent to mainland Europe, especially northern Italy, where the meat is used in salami.

The Donkey Sanctuary spokesman said: “While some donkeys enter the food chain legally, in the production of salami for example, it’s not easy to track what happens to them all.”

Roly Owers, head of World Horse Welfare, said: “There’s a big trade in low-value equines like donkeys across Europe and there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence they’re shipped from Ireland to the UK to be slaughtered here.

“Many end up in an abattoir and are used for meat. Dealers will probably get £200 to £250 for a donkey at an abattoir while getting a vet to dispose of one animal will cost £300.”

Last night the FSA would not ­confirm the claims, saying: “We would not release any details prior to the investigation being completed.”

A spokeswoman denied any samples were taken at one of the sites where donkey meat was allegedly found.

Yesterday three men arrested in a horse meat probe were released on bail. Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64, owner of Farmbox Meats, near Aberystwyth, an unnamed 42-year-old man also in Wales, and slaughterman Peter Boddy, 63, from Todmorden, West Yorkshire, were all held last week.

Mr Boddy was arrested on suspicion of providing horse carcasses to ­Farmbox Meats that were then passed off as beef.

Last week it emerged the slaughter-house owner had been paid to kill animals badly hurt in the Grand ­National. Mr Raw-Rees, who denies any wrongdoing, says horse carcasses are shipped in from Ireland.

Samples from three further plants – including Flexi Foods in Hull and at Dino & Sons Continental Foods in Tottenham, North London – were ­being tested yesterday.

Dino & Sons said the frozen meat was stored for another firm and kept separately with no risk of cross-contamination.